For His Merciful Love Lasts for Ever Psalm 135 (136) Martin Foster

For his merciful love lasts for ever Psalm 135 (136) Martin Foster

Cantor b 3 & 8 ‰ ‰ œ. œ œ œ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ 1. O giveœ thánks to the Lórd for he is good.œ. All b 3 j & 8 ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ For his mer - ci - fulœ love lasts for ev - er. Am D m Am Bb G m C D m G j b 3 ‰ ‰ j œ & 8 œ œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ . œ. œ. œ. œ. œ œ. nœ. œ. . . ? 3 œ. œ œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. b 8 œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ.

& b ‰ ‰ œ. œ œ œ œ. ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ Giveœ thánks to the Gód of góds.

j & b ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ For his mer - ci - ful love lasts for ev - er. C F C D m F G m D m G m œ j & b ‰ ‰ j œ. œ œ œ œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. œ œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ œ œ. œ. ? œ œ. œ. œ. œœ. œ. œ. œ b œ. œ. œ. . œ. J

b œ . & ‰ œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ. ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ . ∑ Give thánks to the Lórd of lórds.

b œ j . & ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ‰ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ . ∑ For his merœ -ci - ful love lasts for ev - er. C F C m Bb F Bb F C4 œ œ j . & b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ . œ. œ. . bœ bœ œ. œ. nœ œ. œ. . œ.

œ. œ. œ œ. œ. œ ? nœ. œ œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. . œ. b œ. œ. œ.

4 Psalms & Songs of Mercy 1. O give thanks to the Lord for he is good, 6. Through the desert his people he led, For his merciful love lasts for ever. For his merciful love lasts for ever. Give thanks to the God of gods, Nations in their greatness he struck, For his merciful love lasts for ever. For his merciful love lasts for ever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords, Kings in their splendour he slew, For his merciful love lasts for ever. For his merciful love lasts for ever.

2. Who alone has wrought marvellous works, 7. Sihon, king of the Amorites, [B] For his merciful love lasts for ever. For his merciful love lasts for ever. Whose wisdom it was made the skies, And Og, the king of Bashan, [C] For his merciful love lasts for ever. For his merciful love lasts for ever. Who fixed the earth firmly on the seas, For his merciful love lasts for ever. 8. He let Israel inherit their land, For his merciful love lasts for ever. 3. It was he who made the great lights, On his servant their land he bestowed, For his merciful love lasts for ever. For his merciful love lasts for ever. Thesun to rule in the day, He remembered us in our distress, For his merciful love lasts for ever. For his merciful love lasts for ever. Themoon and the stars in the night, For his merciful love lasts for ever. 9. And he snatched us away from our foes, For his merciful love lasts for ever. 4. The first-born of the Egyptians he smote, He gives food to all living things, For his merciful love lasts for ever. For his merciful love lasts for ever. He brought Israel out from their midst, To the God of heaven give thanks, For his merciful love lasts for ever. For his merciful love lasts for ever. Arm outstretched, with power in his hand, For his merciful love lasts for ever. 10. Give praise to the Father almighty, For his merciful love lasts for ever. 5. He divided the Red Sea in two, To his Son Jesus Christ the Lord, For his merciful love lasts for ever. For his merciful love lasts for ever. He made Israel pass through the midst, To the Spirit who dwells in our hearts, For his merciful love lasts for ever. For his merciful love lasts for ever. He flungPha raoh and his force in the sea, For his merciful love lasts for ever.

“For his mercy endures forever.” This is the refrain repeated after each verse in Psalm 136 as it narrates the history of God’s revelation. By virtue of mercy, all the events of the Old Testament are replete with profound salvific import. Mercy renders God’s history with Israel a history of salvation. To repeat continually “for his mercy endures forever,” as the psalm does, seems to break through the dimensions of space and time, inserting everything into the eternal mystery of love. It is as if to say that not only in history, but for all eternity man will always be under the merciful gaze of the Father. It is no accident that the people of Israel wanted to include this psalm – the “Great Hallel,” as it is called – in its most important liturgical feast days. [MV7]

When verse 7 is inlcuded it starts on the second line of the music. Text from The Psalms, a new translation © 1963 The Grail (England) administered by HarperCollins. Psalms & Songs of Mercy Music © 2015 Martin Foster. www.bearmusic.info Psalms & Songs of Mercy 5